ISHPSSB 2025: 20–25 July in Porto, Portugal
The conference website is still online at last check (Winter 2025):
https://ishpssb2025.icbas.up.pt
Located on the north-west coast of Portugal, Porto is the second largest city in Portugal. Built on a hillside of the Douro River overlooking its mouth, Porto has a two thousand years history, going back to the Roman times. Since 1996, the Historic Center of Porto has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Awarded Best City Destination in Europe several times, Porto is one of the liveliest historical towns in Europe. Cosmopolitan since early times, the city is presently a vibrant cultural hub and its cultural features are key elements of the urban life. Porto is very well known for its architecture, of which both magnificent baroque and several modern and unique buildings stand out. The city is also renowned for the famous, internationally appreciated, port wine. Visitors can enjoy museums, cultural events in concert halls or theater venues, restaurants serving the local cuisine and a spirited nightlife. And there are also several Blue Flag Atlantic beaches within the city limits.
July is usually a dry period in Portugal and in Porto the average maximum air temperature is about 25 ºC. The daylight period in July is circa 15 hours, with sunrise happening around 6 am.
Porto is well connected to major international destinations with direct flights within Europe and from some cities in North America and Brazil, although in these cases connecting flights are the most common. There are several low-cost options. Porto Airport is located at less than 15 km from the city center, and when arriving passengers have various public transportation options.
There are diverse accommodation options in the city center and in close vicinity of the conference venues. Major national and international hotel chains can be found within walking distance of the venues (or by public transportation to them). Currently, Porto receives many tourists during all seasons, so it is advisable to make reservations in advance.
Organizers
The conference organization was an initiative of the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Porto (ICBAS) as logistic host, in partnership with UPORTO/MNHC-UP, the Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto.
Founded in 1911, the University of Porto (U.Porto) is a public university and a leading teaching and scientific research institution. Conceived as a multidisciplinary institution devoted to the life and health sciences, the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, ICBAS) was founded in 1975. The MHNC-UP (Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto) was officially created in 2015 as the outcome of the fusion between the Museum of Natural History and the Science Museum of the U.Porto. It is committed to preserving, promoting, studying and raising awareness about our natural world, built up through education and research-related activities carried out by U.Porto. Other institutions in Portugal are associated with the conference organization through the members of the Local Arrangements Committee (LAC).
The organization was a transversal effort of a team gathering people from diverse disciplinary backgrounds (life and health sciences, history and philosophy of science, social sciences) and institutions (schools, research units and a natural history and science museum). The LAC includes scholars from the Universities of Porto, Coimbra and Lisbon, the three oldest universities in the country, as well as NOVA University Lisbon, this way broadening the covered areas and, in a sense, following the ISHPSSB tradition of fostering cooperation across disciplines. The committee is supported by a group of advisors linked to the same three universities.
We worked in close relation with the Program Committee, co-chaired by Charles H. Pence and Kate MacCord, to hold a great, sustainable and inclusive conference.
Venues
ICBAS is located at the central campus of U.Porto, at the city center and next to a large public garden, Jardins do Palácio de Cristal. It is easily reached by walking or public transportation.
The building has rooms well equipped for these kinds of events, also taking into account accessibility. The rooms for the parallel sessions are close to each other, all on the same floor (side by side). The auditoriums and the small rooms are accessible also internally for people with reduced mobility (in these cases, the auditoriums must be accessed by the ground floor); accessible bathrooms are available. The building itself is accessible from street level, although the street is downhill. Considering auditorium size requirements, the plenary sessions took place in an auditorium located in front of ICBAS, on the other side of the street (the Super Bock Arena — Pavilhão Rosa Mota, at Jardins do Palácio de Cristal).
The welcome reception (organized by the MHNC-UP with the support of the House of the Arts) was combined with an open program in the Hall of Biodiversity and the Botanical Garden. The conference dinner was at the Stock Exchange Palace (Palácio da Bolsa) in the city center.
Regarding the virtual space, we built on the Toronto2023 experience, and the post-meeting survey feedback.
Beyond the conference
The city of Porto can provide an amazing experience for tourists: those who love museums, architecture, gardens/parks or bars will have plenty to enjoy. Additionally, coming to Porto can be an opportunity to take small trips — one day or longer — to a few popular destinations in the North of Portugal, like the Douro Valley (the Alto Douro Wine Region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site) or the Minho province; or to the Center and South of Portugal — Coimbra and Lisbon, for instance. A getaway to Galicia (Northwest Spain) is also a pleasant possibility.
Maria Strecht Almeida
Chair of the Local Arrangements Committee